For me, one of the most annoying parts of ADHD is the capacity to tune into people's feelings and motivations, but without being aware I'm doing it. My brain be like "I'm perceiving ALL OF THIS, they're lying, RSD MAXIMUM LEVEL ACTIVATED" and I feel like shit not knowing why 1/
The information goes straight to my feelings and activates all sorts of emotional responses, including RSD, but bypasses my cognitive brain. So I'm not even aware of what I'm perceiving or why, I just respond to it emotionally. Which is not only exhausting but also conflictive 2/
When I'm in a good place, I can often tune into it consciously and give feedback. But if I start to be overwhelmed or anxious, this capacity slowly dissipates, and it gets harder and harder to know why I'm reacting the way I am. Sometimes it takes months to be aware of it 3/
This is a source of conflict with one self and others, but also vulnerability. It makes you doubt yourself and not trust your own feelings, which can make you vulnerable to gaslighting. This can lead to trauma and an endless loop of emotional overload and internal conflict 4/
We react emotionally to something we can't explain. The reason why we're feeling like that is valid and real, but it bypasses our cognition. Not being able to explain it creates huge self doubt, added to low self esteem it's a perfect mix for someone to use it against us 5/
Turning this around is hard. It requires self-awareness, something ADHDers aren't good at. It also requires introspection and pausing before reacting emotionally, which we often lack (some medications can help with this). But knowing it happens and looking for it it's key 6/
I look out for sudden mood changes or irritability, which are usually the first sign. Then I try to take some time to myself and calm down, and go back to what happened, to try and identify the cause. Any progress makes the emotional response milder and more bearable 7/
Extended periods of anxiety or emotional distress usually block this capacity (gaslighting/big relationship problems/work anxiety/etc), so self awareness becomes almost impossible and we can become a walking mess that just tries to survive to the emotional overload. Not fun 8/
As always, any input you have on this topic, both personal/professional/scientific, is very much appreciated! If you have any tricks to make this better... Asking for a friend of course 9/9
